Former People's Bank Building Could Soon See The Wrecking Ball

A unique piece of '60s architecture in Lexington could soon be slated for demolition.

Property owners have filed for a permit to tear down the former People’s Bank building on South Broadway.

It’s hard to miss the light blue, one-story building with the accordian-like zig-zag roof that sits next to the Rupp Arena parking lot. Local architects describe it as a notable example of Modernism – the style that broke with the past to create designs modeled more on use and function.

The Charles Bayless-designed structure was completed in 1961.

But Langley Properties, which owns the lot, says it contains asbestos and hasn’t been used in at least 15 years. Scott Davidson, the company’s vice president, told the Lexington Herald-Leader that plans are still being reviewed for the lot. A movie theater complex with an IMAX screen has been proposed nearby, but Davidson says the demolition isn’t necessarily related.